India’s 2024 T20 World Cup winning strategy is revealed by Hardik Pandya.
Hardik Pandya reflected on his match-winning performance against South Africa in the 2024 final in Barbados, which was crucial in India breaking their 17-year ICC T20 World Cup trophy drought. The 31-year-old all-rounder revealed that he aimed to bowl wide from Klaasen, who was leading his team home, and keep the delivery slow to fool the Proteas batter. India and South Africa surged into the final unbeaten to compete for the prized crown. India scored 176/7 in the first innings thanks to a brilliant Virat Kohli knock.
In response, Heinrich Klaasen’s pure power hitting changed the pendulum in South Africa’s favor. While facing India’s clever spinners, Klaasen muscled the ball past the boundary rope at will, reducing the equation to 26 needed in 24 balls.
India required a miracle, a moment that would reignite the hope of winning the crown once the dust had fallen. Pandya provided the much-needed spark in the 16th over, going wide to draw an edge from Klaasen and influence the outcome for both teams. “There wasn’t much spoken. Ro (Rohit Sharma) and I have played together for many years. He understands my character, personality, and the importance I place on cricket awareness. So, right before the ball, I told him I was going to go wide to Klaasen. “I just knew he was going to expect a ball on the stumps,” Pandya said in an ICC-posted video.
In an attempt to outfox Klaasen, Pandya gambled by going wide with a slower delivery without changing the field. Pandya’s tactic worked perfectly, as Klaasen fell right into the trap.”His leg was on the side, so I knew he was going to try to hit me there, and just before my run-up, I glanced at him and told him I was going to go slow because I hadn’t prepared a field for the slower ball. I wanted to outfox him, I had to be a little ahead of the game so that at least he was unaware of what the ball was coming because the way he was hitting it was phenomenal, so that happened, and I believe that just opened the door for us,” he continued.The job was not completed for India because there was still work to be done. Pandya had to defend 16 in the last over, and that was against established finisher David Miller, who appeared unfazed by the scenario.
Pandya observed the wind blowing towards the dressing room and intended to make Miller play against the wind. Miller took a full swing, only to see Suryakumar Y.
